Barefoot at a feline-friendly home

MA+RS imagines a purrmanent Bengaluru home for a family of four and two cats

13 Jan 2026

This residence in Bengaluru feels instinctively familiar like the city’s fervour to savour a post–bisi bele bhath nap, giving in to the clement rhythm of slow afternoons. With switchback stairs doubling as feline thoroughfares, stone floors invite you inside this 2,750 sq ft space crafted by Anisha Menon and Sabyasachi Routray, Principal Architects and Founders of MA+RS in collaboration with Mereen Koshy. Built for barefoot moments, a reflex to the city’s weathered warmth, the space unfolds in earthy tones as a canvas where a family of four and two cats leave vivid strokes of their life.

Tiled in dash dash dot and orient patterns, what began as two 3BHK apartments was reworked into a six-bedroom duplex. Encompassing a functional plan aimed at intimate zones like reading nooks and game nights, the home emphasises daily rituals and the use of materials with a natural ageing process.

"The leather-finish limestone floors provide a grounding, tactile quality in Indian homes where everyone likes to be barefoot, while the Indian Patent Stone (IPS) walls in complementary shades add a rich yet handmade texture..."

- Anisha Menon and Sabyasachi Routray

A dining space with a MA+RS bench featuring a fruit basket by Bamboopecker. Terracotta light cluster from ARA Living; Styling by Shambhavi Kothari; Photography by Arjun Krishna

A column’s command

The home opens its doors to grey floors and a fluid layout. The living room is centered around a carved stone column that rests beside a green-railing on the stairs and leads to a window that spans almost an entire wall. A stone column not only serves as an anchor point but also as a work of art displaying traditional Indian carvings. “We always like to use materials that are natural. The leather-finish limestone floors provide a grounding, tactile quality in Indian homes where everyone likes to be barefoot, while the Indian Patent Stone (IPS) walls in complementary shades add a rich yet handmade texture and the extensive use of reclaimed teak wood introduces warmth,” the duo explains.

The plan does the quiet work of directing the eye, eventually arriving at the dining area where terracotta finishes paired with black and white striped chairs and planters compose to sharpen the room’s presence. Sightlines extend beyond the table. While the living area is still in view, a piano makes an appearance close to the office, thus emphasising that the residence is an open-plan space. The use of planters throughout, adds greenery in a manner that doesn’t disrupt the flow of life.

A staircase laden in wooden platforms and green railings; Styling by Shambhavi Kothari; Photography by Arjun Krishna

Green kitchen walls and wooden cabinetry accentuates the earthy tones of this kitchen; Styling by Shambhavi Kothari; Photography by Arjun Krishna

All played out

This home plays to the rhythm of family life. At its core is the family lounge, anchored by a custom board-game table and art pieces, where daylight and daily banter spill in with ease.

“The living and dining areas were transformed into a family lounge, creating a communal space for everyone to gather,” is how Anisha and Sabyasachi describe the design that now features home offices for the parents on separate levels with the intention to provide privacy and the ability to switch off when needed. Whether the design is meant to encourage the best qualities of the family or the quality time that they spend together within the home, functionality is the key word here with many areas that can be used for both entertainment and transformation as the need arises.

Green wall by Splash textures; Styling by Shambhavi Kothari; Photography by Arjun Krishna

A display of artefacts in the family lounge. Lighting by Oorja; Styling by Shambhavi Kothari; Photography by Arjun Krishna

Two to one

The private quarters further extend the story with equal lucidity. In the master bedroom, the pastels of green and wooden accents bring about a composed ambience and a powder room further enhanced by the hand-painted basin, which borders on being a luxurious gesture. Then, there’s the kid’s bedroom, which changes pace altogether, with yellow hues and themes beginning on a vibrant wavelength.

It is, however, the merging of two three-bedroom units,, which presents the greatest challenge. It could have been disjointed, but becoming the sum of all aspects, each with its purpose, is what ultimately makes the space shine, aided by a plan that knows how to connect the dots without being forced.